What the EIC Women Leadership Programme is and why it matters

The European Innovation Council Women Leadership Programme, or WLP, is a skills and networking initiative aimed at women researchers, aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs connected to the EIC, the EIT Communities and related schemes such as WomenTechEU. Its stated purpose is to strengthen leadership capabilities, broaden professional networks and help participants convert research into business or scale existing ventures. The programme combines virtual trainings with in person sessions, mentoring and business coaching.

Recent milestone: Vienna event and cohort activity

The latest WLP cohort concluded with a face to face highlight event on 6 June 2024 in Vienna. The day included panel discussions, keynote talks and workshops designed to create networking moments and to consolidate learning from the blended training programme. The EIC Community team spoke with several mentors and trainers after the event to capture practical impressions of the programme in action.

Core components of the programme

Voices from mentors and facilitators

Mentors who participated in the WLP describe mentoring as mutually beneficial. Diana Navarro, Head of Research and Innovation at a university hospital and an investor, emphasised the rewards of advising early stage innovators and the value of fresh perspectives for experienced professionals. Elisabeth Schwab, a brand marketing and tech leader, said personal mentors had changed her career outlook and that she now seeks to pay that forward. Rebecca Hill, a facilitator and consultant, praised the quality and openness of cohort discussions and the participants’ ability to apply learning to their organisations. Nora Stolz, founder of The Female Forum, focused training on increasing self awareness and adapting leadership styles, and framed the programme as a way to unlock untapped opportunities for women founders in Europe.

Sectors and geographic reach

The WLP reports participation from across Europe and across sectors. Prominent fields among cohorts include HealthTech, EduTech, BioTech and ClimateTech. That mix is intended to bring diverse perspectives but also means that lessons and networking value will vary by sector maturity and capital intensity.

Where WLP sits in the EIC ecosystem

Reported numbers and policy context

EIC public material positions support to women innovators as a strategic objective for the period 2021 to 2027. The agency publishes participation metrics as evidence of progress while acknowledging the gender gap remains. The numbers included in EIC reporting provide some signal of change but also underline that women remain underrepresented across funding instruments.

Numbers like those above show improvement but they do not by themselves demonstrate structural change. Trackable outcomes such as follow on funding, company survival and scale up rates will be more informative over time. The EIC frames actions for 2021 to 2027 around six strategic goals, one of which explicitly prioritises support to underrepresented innovators including women and founders from less developed ecosystems.

Timing and application notes for prospective participants

The community article announcing the Vienna event also stated that the 6th cohort would open for applications on 1 July with the programme scheduled to begin in September 2024 and be targeted at women co founders and C suite leaders from EIC and EIT communities. Official EIC pages contain different scheduling statements. At the time of compilation some EIC web pages indicated applications were closed and that the next call was expected in early spring 2026. Prospective applicants should rely on the EIC Community platform and the EIC BAS newsletter for official and up to date calls and deadlines.

Limitations and realistic expectations

Mentoring and leadership training are proven development tools and participants and mentors report benefits from exchange and fresh perspectives. Yet mentoring alone cannot remove systemic barriers to female entrepreneurship such as biased investment practices, unequal access to networks and regional disparities in support infrastructure. The modest size of cohorts and the concentration of resources in selected programmes mean impact will depend on how WLP graduates translate learning into measurable business outcomes and how the EIC links skills support to funding and market access.

Implications for Europe’s innovation ecosystem

WLP fits into a larger EU effort to close gender gaps in deep tech and to increase European competitiveness by widening the pool of founders who can scale high potential technologies. If the EIC can combine training, mentoring and explicit pathways to capital and procurement, these interventions can contribute to incremental change. However evidence of long term impact requires transparent follow up data on funding rounds, exits and company growth rates from programme alumni. Policymakers and programme managers should publish longitudinal metrics and ensure that mentoring and coaching are matched to concrete growth milestones.

Practical next steps for readers

If you are eligible and interested monitor the EIC Community platform and sign up to the EIC BAS newsletter for confirmed call dates. Consider the programme as one element within a broader support plan that should include investor outreach, sector specific acceleration and peer networks. If you are an investor or corporate partner consider how to convert alumni engagement into concrete pilot, procurement or co investment opportunities.